Posted!

Join the Conversation

Comments

Welcome to our new and improved comments, which are for subscribers only.
This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you.
You do not need a Facebook profile to participate.

You will need to register before adding a comment.
Typed comments will be lost if you are not logged in.

Please be polite.
It's OK to disagree with someone's ideas, but personal attacks, insults, threats, hate speech, advocating violence and other violations can result in a ban.
If you see comments in violation of our community guidelines, please report them.

Gwen Collins-Greenup, an African-American Democrat who spent less than $1,500 on her campaign, delivered Louisiana's biggest election night surprise by earning a spot in the Dec. 8 runoff election for secretary of state with Republican Kyle Ardoin.

The secretary of state is Louisiana's chief elections officer and keeper of the state's archives, among other duties.

Ardoin, the de facto incumbent as acting secretary of state, and Collins-Greenup topped the crowded field with each getting 20 percent of the vote with Ardoin leading her by about 10,000 votes.

"It's an amazing accomplishment because (Collins-Greenup) only raised ($2,650) and wasn't believed to be a strong candidate," said political radio analyst Jim Engster.

Collins-Greenup didn't even earn the Louisiana Democratic Party's endorsement. That nod went to Renee Fontenot Free, who had previously worked for the secretary of state and now for Attorney General Jeff Landry. Free finished third with 16 percent.

But the Democratic Party quickly fell in behind Collins-Greenup after the election.

“It’s always a good sign to see a Democratic candidate resonating with voters in Louisiana, and Gwen Collins-Greenup did exactly that,” Louisiana Democratic Party Executive Director Stephen Handwerk said.

In contrast to Collins-Greenup, Ardoin spent about $250,000 to best seasoned and well-funded established Republicans likes state Reps. Julie Stokes (11 percent) and Rick Edmonds (11 percent) and former state Sen. A.G. Crowe (5 percent).

He also had to survive a flood late attacks from Edmonds.

Ardoin ran as the incumbent after former Secretary of State Tom Schedler resigned last spring following an interoffice sex scandal with one of his employees accusing him of harassment.

Ardoin had said he wouldn't run for the job, but reversed course in the final minutes of qualifying.

Kyle Ardoin, R-Baton Rouge, qualified to run for secretary of state Friday.(Photo: Greg Hilburn/USA Today Network)

Ardoin wants to parlay his experience of eight years as Schedler's deputy into the permanent job.

"This is no time for on-the-job training," Ardoin has said repeatedly on the campaign trail.

During the campaign, Ardoin said that whereas others could only speculate on cyber security, he has created a new cyber security office within the agency that has been approved and hired.

Collins-Greenup is an attorney from Clinton whose only previous political experience was an unsuccessful bid for the East Feliciana Parish clerk of court's job.

"I believe I have a lot to offer my community and my state; I love to serve," she has said.

Collins-Greenup has emphasized modernizing the state archives and voting machines and engaging young voters by increasing civics offerings in high school.

Louisiana's leading political insider Jeremy Alford, publisher of LaPolitics.com, said the race also showed a surge of support for women's candidates. Combined, the women in the secretary of state's race out polled the men by about 70,000 votes.

"It mirrors the national trend of emerging women in politics," Alford said.

But while Collins was able to deliver an election night shocker in the primary, she faces an even more unlikely path in the runoff.

Louisiana remains a decidedly Republican stronghold and no African-American woman has ever been elected to statewide office.

"The runoff will be a different story; she'll be a heavy underdog," Alford said.

Whoever wins the runoff will have to run again in 2019 for a full four-year term

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1